Quebrada de Humahuaca (Humahuaca Valley), is located in the Jujuy province of Argentina. It is narrow mountain valley that contains many villages in which are the oldest settlements in Argentina. The valley runs north to south and can be easily accessed when travelling to/from Bolivia or Chile.
There are many highlights along the valley, these are my favorites (Some are just outside the valley)
Purmamarca
Purmamarca actually is located off the main road in the valley. It is on the road towards Attacama desert in chile via the amazing Paso de Jama. This makes it a great stop on the way to and from Chile. The town is very small and was the most ‘touristy’ town in the area. Best for a day trip, check out the main square which is full of markets stalls. Another site is the Cerro de los Siete Colores (The hill of seven colours). It has a unique color range that is the product of a complex geological history including marine sediments, lake and river movements elevated with the movement of the tectonic plates.
Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina
Tilcara
I found Tilcara to be the best place to stay as it has alot of hostel options and great restaurants (more than the other towns). Traces of human habitation in the area date back more than 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements of Argentina. There is also an amazing day hike to ‘Devils Throat’, that has great views of the area, waterfalls, and a water aqua-duct.
Jujuy, Argentina
Humahuaca
Humahuaca is widely known for its location at the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a long valley east of the central Andean Altiplano. It is the main town in the valley, located north of Tilcara and Purmamarca. The centre of the town has a lovely square which leads up some amazing stairs to a monument to the heroes of the Independence. (Monumento a los Héroes de la Independencia)
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Serranía de Hornocal
The Serranía de Hornocal are a range of mountains located 25 kilometers from the city of Humahuaca in the Argentine province of Jujuy. Exposed in the range is the limestone formation called Yacoraite that extends from Salta, Argentina, through the Argentine Quebrada de Humahuaca and then through the Bolivian Altiplano to Peru. When you finally reach the colored mountains, you’ll be at 4761 meters above sea level.
Cerro de los 14 colores, Jujuy, Argentina
Iruya
Iruya is small mountain town located in the Salta region of North West Argentina. The town is accessed by a gravel road from Quebrada de Humahuaca (Humahuaca Valley). So technically it is outside the Quebrada de Humahuaca, but it was my favorite place in Argentina, because of its remoteness. I have a dedicated post on Iruya
